The tightrope walker without a net by Avani Devi

There is something quietly astonishing about watching Narendra Modi conduct foreign policy as though it were a high-wire performance staged for multiple audiences at once. India’s prime minister is simultaneously deepening trade ties with the European Union, negotiating agreements with Canada, flattering Donald Trump’s nationalist instincts and continuing to purchase discounted oil from Vladimir Putin. The spectacle resembles diplomacy only at first glance. Look closer and it feels more like improvisational theater; part pragmatism, part ambition and part calculated contradiction.

Modi’s defenders call this strategic autonomy, a phrase that sounds noble and carefully thought out. In practice, it often looks like geopolitical multitasking driven less by ideology than by opportunity. India today is a country determined to avoid choosing sides in an increasingly polarized world. Unlike Cold War leaders who were forced into rigid alliances, Modi is attempting to harvest advantages from every camp simultaneously. Europe wants India as a democratic counterweight to China. Canada seeks economic engagement despite political tensions. Washington courts New Delhi as a strategic partner in Asia. Meanwhile, Moscow remains a convenient supplier of cheap energy.

The result is an almost surreal diplomatic choreography. In Brussels, Modi speaks the language of shared democratic values and economic cooperation. In North America, he presents India as a reliable partner in innovation and trade. In conversations tied to Trump-era politics, he leans into nationalist camaraderie and strongman symbolism. And when it comes to Russia, principles give way to practical arithmetic; cheap oil fuels a growing economy.

Critics argue that this balancing act reveals inconsistency, even hypocrisy. How can a leader praise democratic solidarity while maintaining close economic relations with an authoritarian regime engaged in war? How can India claim moral leadership in global forums while refusing to decisively distance itself from Moscow? These questions linger precisely because Modi’s diplomacy resists the neat moral frameworks Western observers prefer.

Yet dismissing the strategy as incoherent misses the deeper point. Modi understands that India’s moment may finally have arrived. With China facing economic headwinds, Europe searching for new partners and the United States eager to diversify alliances in Asia, India occupies an enviable position. For decades, global powers dictated terms to New Delhi. Now, Modi behaves as though India sets the terms instead.

Still, there is risk in believing one can forever please everyone. International politics rarely rewards permanent ambiguity. Europe expects alignment on values. North America expects predictability. Russia expects loyalty from customers who benefit from its resources. Each relationship carries unspoken demands and eventually those demands collide.

Modi’s diplomatic style mirrors his domestic political persona: assertive, self-assured, and deeply attentive to optics. He projects confidence in India’s rise while avoiding commitments that might limit manoeuvrability. The performance works, at least for now, because global instability gives middle powers unusual leverage. When major players distrust one another, the country willing to speak to all sides gains influence.

But balancing acts depend on timing as much as skill. Economic downturns, geopolitical crises or shifts in leadership abroad could quickly transform flexibility into vulnerability. A strategy built on simultaneous friendships risks appearing opportunistic when tensions sharpen. Allies may begin to wonder whether partnership with India comes with shared purpose or merely shared convenience.

Modi is not juggling for entertainment; he is attempting to redefine India’s role in the world. The question is whether this careful equilibrium represents strategic genius or temporary fortune. History tends to favour leaders who choose decisive directions rather than endless calibration.

For now, Modi walks the rope confidently, collecting applause from multiple corners of the globe. Whether he reaches the other side or discovers that the rope itself was never stable, remains the unanswered drama of India’s foreign policy moment.